After years of spending time in central Victoria, city dwellers Margaret and Graham Jasper knew it was time to bite the bullet and slow down and enjoy ‘retirement’.
It was a distinct change in direction for Margaret, who for years managed her own HR consultancy business, and architect Graham.
Their ideal retirement spot was Kyneton, however, retire this couple did not, with Margaret soon turning her passion for sourcing and collecting rugs and homewares into two successful stores and Graham project managing their burgeoning property portfolio.
“We had been coming here for years - even when the children were younger,” says Margaret settling into a cosy couch near the massive open fireplace in the family’s living room.
“And when we did move they thought we were mad as Kyneton was not as developed in terms of eateries and design stores then. But now, they cannot wait to come here and bring their friends.” Adds Graham: “We see them more now than we used to.”
As weekends “in the country” turned into longer stints away from Melbourne, they took the plunge and bought a house with room to move outdoors, with hedged gardens and a stream nearby.
“We didn’t want to be hemmed in,” Margaret says. “We knew this place had plenty of scope and some views of the mountains, and yet not too far from the central hub.”
Doing as most renovators do, they lived in the property for a while, then finally the renovation and extension started to evolve. What was once the garage is now their bedroom, a wide, welcoming hallway displaces the bathroom.
A ‘great room’ that would easily hold dozens of friends and family for entertaining was added, complete with massive kitchen and all the mod cons.
“We couldn't live without the commercial dishwasher or coffee machine,” says Margaret, without a hint of disappointment that today’s visitors are tea drinkers. “No worries, we will brew a pot.”
A large fireplace helps keep the great room warm in the cooler Kyneton climate, but it’s more for the atmosphere, Margaret says.
“We love sitting here watching the flames, an open fire should not be seen as indulgent, it’s a necessity and should be set independently of when you light it. It should be ready to go.”
Banks of windows line three walls of the room, filling it with lots of natural light. Behind the fourth wall is a small hallway leading to two offices - his and hers.
“This is mine,” says Margaret, pushing open a the door to expose a room filled with shelving and overflowing with baubles and items to make jewellery. “It’s a little passion of mine. I find it relaxing to make jewellery.
"I usually have them strewn across the couch so the good thing about having the office right here is I can pick everything up, toss it into the office and close the door. Then everyone will continue think we live in calmness and in an orderly fashion,” she laughs.
Life is about grabbing the moment and enjoying time with family, friends and each other.
- Margaret Jasper
The couple designed the home so there would be plenty of room for family and friends to visit.
Book shelves and side boards fill the home and are in turn lined with antiques, artefacts and items collected from their travels.
Margaret, who owns the rug store The Persian Room and Emporium on Piper in Kyneton, brings plenty of work home to admire.
“I love my rugs, and it’s nice to be able to decorate home with them,” she says.
Beautiful, rich Persian rugs adorn the walls of rooms, a table and floors; and timber is a feature in furnishings adding warmth to the neutral palette on the walls.
Key items are some family heirlooms, including a sideboard that once belonged to Graham’s grandmother.
A massive en suite was designed "to bring a little outdoors indoors", with a partial glass roof allowing natural light to filter into the room.
Graham’s flair for building design and property development has not waned, with the couple revamping property in Kyneton, including a $3.8 million boutique retail development called Piper + Wedge that opened last year.
The Emporium on Piper has since relocated to the prominent corner site, with Piper St Food Company expanding its floorspace and other stores opening.
With more overseas trips planned and a well-honed eye on potential business enterprises, this couple may be at home in Kyneton but retirement remains far into the future.
For the Jaspers, home is about enjoying current company and celebrating life.
“We don’t like to do things by halves,” Margaret says. “Life is about grabbing the moment and enjoying time with family, friends and each other.”
